In tire structures, a belt reinforcing layer is sometimes provided while covering the outer periphery of a belt layer, thereby reinforcing the belt layer. The belt reinforcing layer is formed by taking a long, narrow band-like tire member, in which a plurality of reinforcing cords such as organic fiber cords or metal cords that are arranged mutually parallel are embedded, and wrapping that tire member multiple times around the outer periphery of the belt layer on an outer side of the belt layer of the tire in the tire radial direction. This long, narrow band-like member is one of N+1 band-like cut members obtained by cutting a wide band-like member a predetermined number of times N along the length direction of the reinforcing cords.
A cutting method and cutting device for obtaining such a band-like cut member is known (see, e.g., Japanese Patent No. 5168576B).
In this cutting method, an image capture device captures an image of cutting means capable of moving in a width direction of the band-like member along with a portion of the band-like member including a first end in the width direction at one end in the length direction of the band-like member. Furthermore, a position of each of the reinforcing cords appearing at the one end in the length direction of the band-like member and a position of the cutting means are detected in the image captured by the image capture device. The cutting means is then moved toward a second end of the band-like member in the width direction, to a position, in the captured image, where the cutting means can cut the band-like member at a position between a reinforcing cord located a predetermined number from the first end in the width direction of the band-like member and the next reinforcing cord thereafter. The cutting means then forms a cut in the one end in the length direction of the band-like member. Next, an image capture device stop range is set, in the captured image, on the first end side of the position of the cutting means in the width direction of the band-like member. The image capture device is then moved toward the second end side in the width direction of the band-like member until the position of the cutting means in the captured image enters the image capture device stop range. After that, the positions of the reinforcing cords appearing at the one end in the length direction of the band-like member are detected in the image captured by the image capture device, and the position of the cutting means is set. Furthermore, the cutting means is moved toward the second end side in the width direction of the band-like member until the cutting means is located at a position where the cutting means can cut the band-like member at a position between the reinforcing cord a predetermined number from the position at which the immediately preceding cut was formed and the next reinforcing cord thereafter, in the captured image. The cutting means then forms a cut in the one end in the length direction of the band-like member.
The band-like member is, for example, a member obtained by cutting a wide sheet material, in which reinforcing cords are embedded, every set width. Thus depending on how dense or sparse the reinforcing cords are, the number of reinforcing cords embedded in the band-like member may be greater or less than a set target number of reinforcing cords. As such, when the above-described cutting method is used to obtain the band-like cut member by cutting the band-like member with a consistent number of reinforcing cords, the number of reinforcing cords in the final band-like cut member obtained from the cutting will not be the target number of reinforcing cords, and the band-like cut member will thus not conform to specifications. Band-like cut members not conforming to specifications are discarded.